Language immersion is truly a great way to learn a new language

True benefits of language immersion

If you’ve ever learned a language (or even just thought about it) then you’ll have probably heard that the best way to learn is immersion. And it’s true, there’s a point in your Spanish learning process when immersion is absolutely the best learning option.

Just to be clear, immersion involves putting yourself in a situation in which you have to speak Spanish, understand Spanish, and are surrounded by the culture that goes with Spanish. Sink or swim (and don’t worry, though individual experiences may vary, everybody ends up swimming!)

But why is immersion so effective. There are 3 main advantages that immersion has when compared to other language-learning methods…

It’s a truly practical approach

There’s no doubt that ‘classroom’ learning is great for getting the basics down and learning vocabulary and grammar – the basic foundations, in other words. But once those foundations are in place, you build your language by using it. When you’re immersed in a Spanish-speaking environment, there’s no escape. You either learn to ask for what you want and need in Spanish or you don’t get it. Shops, restaurants, asking for directions, talking about the last movie you saw… immersion means you very rapidly improve how you express yourself. It may feel clumsy and even non-idiomatic at first, but the other practical benefit of immersion is that you very quickly build your vocabulary and colloquial phrasing. If you want to speak like a native, speak to a native – simple.

It’s all about context

Language and culture go hand-in-hand. Phrasing, word order, idioms, jokes… all the things you need for true fluency come from an understanding of culture as well as grammar.

Immersion in a Spanish-speaking country or community means you see the cultural context. You experience how the use of the language differs from your own. As soon as you try to use your Spanish with a native speaker, you quickly realise that manners and customs determine phrasing – how you attract the waiter’s attention in a restaurant, for example, is very different to how you might do it at home. Understanding the context tells you which words to use and when – and it’s invaluable in developing your ‘Spanish self’!

You learn by doing

We’ve all learned by rote. Whether it’s memorising our times tables as children or trying to cram Spanish verb tables into our memory. With immersion, you don’t consult a table to find the right word, instead you’re in a real situation – a conversation over a caña, a transaction at the Correos… – and the situation itself helps you learn and remember which words and phrases are effective, and which are not! The result is faster learning and a more effective memory. In fact, instead of ‘learning’ it’s more accurate to call it ‘acquisition’ – your brain acquires the language through using it.

A few simple DIY immersion tips

Watch Spanish television programmes or films. Depending on your level, it might help to watch with Spanish subtitles to help you connect the spoken and written versions of words and phrases.

Read a book in Spanish. If that sounds too ‘in at the deep end’, try some children’s or young adult fiction – there’s no shortage of engaging stories written using more straightforward language.

Change the language on your mobile phone, tablet or computer. The device is familiar so that will help you link words to functions and remember them. Imagine, every time you use your phone, you’re boosting your Spanish!

-

Pueblo Español courses are run by Diverbo (a name that includes diversity, fun and language), a Spanish company with over 15 years’ experience in full immersion language courses. The courses in Jaen and Salamanca combine a wide variety of learning exercises with and equally deep immersion in Spanish culture, making for a fully-rounded and life-changing experience. The next 8-day immersion course will be July 28 to August 4 in Salamanca. There are also student programmes scheduled throughout July. For details of these and other Pueblo Español courses in 2017, contact Maria Goyanes on +34 913 913 400 or learnspanish@diverbo.com, or visit the website at puebloespanol.com

For anybody looking to ‘turbocharge’ their Spanish language skills, Pueblo Español have the answer: a carefully-crafted 8-day full immersion course in a choice of Spain’s most beautiful environments.

The approach is simple but rigorous. Eight days speaking nothing but Spanish, with a wide variety of engaging activities and lessons, with a handpicked team of native Spanish speakers who engage with learners on a 1-to-1 basis. The benefits experienced by past students include ‘tuning’ their ears to different Spanish accents, reducing mistakes when speaking and building person confidence, acquiring a range of native expressions and idioms, and a better understanding of Spanish traditions, culture, places, people, food, and music.

As well as the 1-to- 1 teaching, the course features a schedule designed and organised with student

confidence in mind, building their comprehension and communication skills in a stimulating and

sessions, telephone transactions and conference calls, presentations and performances… all of which

results in a noticeable improvement in listening and communication skills, as well improving each student’s

self-confidence when speaking.

The Pueblo Español is designed for anyone who wants to improve their listening and communication skills, build their self-confidence and fluency when speaking in Spanish, and have some intense fun in the process.

Specifically, Pueblo Español is well-suited to business professionals (especially the role-plays related to

common work situations including presentations, telephone sessions, and conference calls), Spanish

teachers (who will give simulated class lesson) and people who are just enthusiastic about learning Spanish

and want to know more about the country and culture of the people who speak it. In the summer months,

there’s also a programs for young students (between 14 and 17) and for university students.

A particular feature of the Pueblo Español immersion experience is the location: a choice of two beautiful Spanish villages, both tranquil and stunning and offering something entirely different to a typical holiday destination. Throughout the year Pueblo Español have two locations: the Doña Teresa Hotel in the heart of the historic National Historic-Cultural village of La Alberca in the province of Salamanca, and the Rosaleda de Don Pedro Hotel, in Andalucia.